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cameronsmallengines, Small Engine Tech

Category: Small Engine

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Experience: 15 years experience in outdoor power equipment repair

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Lawn tractor will not start. Husquvarna YTH150, Kohler CV15,

Customer Question

Lawn tractor will not start. Husquvarna YTH150, Kohler CV15, 215 hrs. Started to plow snow in driveway today. Everything great. Let engine idle while talking to neighbor. Engine stalled like it was out of gas. Tank low, but not empty, added more gas. Nothing. Check plug looked clean but too dry. Drained gas, blew (air) out fuel lines, and gave freash gas. Nothing. Removed air cleaner and used starter fluid. Engine will start and run on starter fluid. Will not stay running. Put some clean gas in air intake. Engine will start but not run. Plug now wet and getting fouled (black). Other checks- fuel pump sending fuel to carb when line pulled off. Some fuel entering carb. by the throttle valve/flap in carb throat when turned over. Plug has been cleaned and has about 70hrs. on it. Please help. Thank you, Konrad

The symptoms you describe are typical of a carburetor that needs cleaning. The carburetor can't draw fuel from the bowl in order to keep running once the gas or starter fluid(called priming) you applied to the intake burned off, and so it would die for lack of fuel. This is more typical of an engine that has sat unused for a while rather than happening while idling, but its still the most likely possibility. Before I recommend that you clean your carbretor, let me get you to check on something for me. Your Kohler model number, (CV15) has a spec number that goes along with it. It can be found on the engine on a ID tag right next to the model number. That number will help me find a carburetor parts breakdown, and what I am looking for is an electric fuel solenoid. many engines have electric fuel solenoids applied to the bottom of the carburetors to prevent engine backfiring upon engine shutdown, and also to prevent undue fuel flooding should a needle begin to leak. Let me know that spec number, and if I find that it has a fuel solenoid applied to the carburetor, I'll want you to test it as a faulty or broken solenoid would definitely cut off fuel flow to your bowl and potentially cause the prime-die situation you are experiencing. It would mimic the symptoms of a carb that needed cleaning if it were out, so we'll start there if yours is equipped. Let me know about that spec number.

Sorry this took so long. More info for you. Model #CV15S. Spec. #41587. Serial #2927101543. Carb Nikki, with black&red wires from bottem of bowl. Also, engine has not been started for at least 45 days. Thank you, Konrad

Gotcha, the wires to the bottom of the bowl indicates you do in fact have that fuel solenoid. And the 45 day no-start is making the carburetor cleaning look more like your issue, but lets test that solenoid first. To test that solenoid, you'll need to remove it from the carburetor. When you do this, fuel is going to leak from that bowl, so just be prepared for that. Once you've got it off, blow it dry with compressed air, or let it sit out and dry very well so all of the gas fumes are gone. Once its good and dry, you'll need to apply 12 volts dc to the two connections that the wires were going to. You can do this with a set of jumper cables, a battery and two small bladed screwdrivers. Apply the cables to your battery and the screwdrivers within the jaws of the cables on the other end. Apply the tips of the screwdrivers, one to each connector on the solenoid. If your solenoid is good, the plunger will draw itslef down into the solenoid and push back out once the 12 volt source is gone. If that is the reaction you get, then your solenoid is good and you'll need to look into cleaning the carburetor or having it cleaned. If you want to clean it yourself, I recommend a complete disassembly and soaking of your carburetor in a good carburetor cleaner such as Berryman Chem Dip. It comes in a 1 gallon pail and you can get it at any auto parts store for around $20.00. Check out that solenoid and let me know what you find,

OK. Pulled the solenoid. Put the wires to a battery and also to a battery set to 12volt 10amp. Nothing changed. I have the solenoid in front of me. It has about 1/4 inch coarse threads with a brass insert inside of that. The brass is concave with a center that looks like a needle should be there, but there is nothing. It looks like brass could be remove with a flathead screwdriver. Konrad

Do you have a digital camera that you can snap a photo of that concave piece you mentioned with? You can attatch photos to your messages using the little button with a tree in it on top of the box you type in. Look into that and I will dig up the carburetor parts breakdown in the meantime.

I tried to take photos and upload but it says file to big. It is part 12-757-28s. If you google this there is a good photo under Kohler_engine_parts. My solenoid has a black and a red wire. Black wire is 5 inches with a round terminal end for ground. Red is 1 inch with a male spade that plugs into a red wire leading back to an ignition harness.

Ok, if you got no reaction at all when you applied 12 volts to it, you'll want to go ahead and replace it. Especially if you suspect it is missing a part. The solenoid will have what I call a little "plunger" that is supposed to move downward when 12 volts are applied, and move back up to cut off fuel flow when the 12 volt source is absent. If you don't get that response then your solenoid is out for sure. Since you already know your part number, you likely already have found a place to purchase one, but I will recommend a place to you anyhow. www.partstree.com has them and they are quick about shipping. You can also get that part at your local Kohler dealer. Please let me know if you need anything else, or have any more trouble.

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